BREAST CANCER AND THE AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY

African American women face both disproportionate exposure to breast carcinogens and the highest risk of serious health impacts from the disease. Check out this fact sheet put together by bcpp.org which helps us to understand the current stats, product types to avoid, and chemicals of concern. DOWNLOAD FACT SHEET

Breast cancer affects more women than any other type of cancer and is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths among women.
In the US:

• A US woman’s lifetime risk of breast cancer is 1 in 8.
• Breast cancer has the highest mortality rate of any cancer in women between the ages of 20 and 59.
• African American women have a 31% breast cancer mortality rate – the highest of any U.S. racial or ethnic group.
• Among women younger than 45, breast cancer incidence is higher among African American women than White women.
• Younger women in general, and younger African American women in particular, are more likely to present with the triple negative subtype of the disease, a subtype that is both more aggressive and associated with a higher mortality.
• Over the past 20 years, despite the universal drop in mortality rates, we have seen a rise in the incidence of breast cancer in African American women. In particular, disparities between mortality rates for white and black women have grown significantly. The mortality rate for Black women diagnosed with breast cancer is 42% higher than the comparable rate for White women. Triple negative breast cancer is diagnosed more often in American women of African descent than in those of European descent in the United States.

Products to Watch Out For:

These products are often marketed to black women yet contain some of the most worrisome ingredients in cosmetics.

• skin lighteners
• hair relaxers
• Brazilian blowout treatments
• acrylic nails

While it may seem overwhelming to overhaul your entire beauty bag, it is possible to make small changes one product at a time!
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READ FULL STORY HERE